Facebook Video Ads – Best Practices from #DigitalOlympusChat

On February 14th, we fell in love with Ads! We’ve discussed Facebook Video Ads Best Practices at #DigitalOlympusChat with Akvile DeFazio, President of AKvertise. She shared her expertise and thoughts on the topic. We are also proud that Akvile took part in the latest edition of Digital Olympus, and the video recording is available here.

We decided to take the matter into our own hands and to invite the brightest minds for a conversation. This post recaps our Twitter Chat about Facebook Ads with different tips on how to improve your skills to target the right audience.

Q1: Are you actively testing video in your Facebook and/or Instagram campaigns? If so, what results have you seen? It not, do you plan to test video sometime soon?

We started our #DigitalOlympusChat by asking Akvile about her way of using A/B tests for Instagram and Facebook Ads. Testing is an extremely important part setting up your ads. By doing so, you can manage your ad campaign performance, improve your metrics like engagement, audience reach, and an average time your video was watched. Also, Alex confirmed that videos used in Facebook Ads perform better than other types of posts based on her extensive experience in testing Facebook ads.

A1: I develop video ad strategies for both B2B and B2C clients. It’s certainly worth testing and more often than not, they out perform their static image ad counterparts. #DigitalOlympusChat

Q2: What challenges do you or your clients face when it comes to creating video content for social ads?

When it comes to creating a brand video, marketing budget is something you have to keep in mind because video production can cost thousands of dollars. As you start the process, brainstorm different ideas with your team or an agency to see if you can come up with something creative without the need to shell out. Instead of producing hi-end video advertising content, try to keep it simple. For example, use your phone. Nowadays these gadgets can really surprise you. Also, you can use different tools that can assist you in shooting a video that will look very professional. Among these tools are Stop Motion Studio, FilmoraGO, Flixel, Boomerang, and iMovie.

A2: We often face initial hesitation w/ some clients when video is mentioned as it can be perceived as an expensive process. We educate & encourage video content creation by using only a phone & low cost apps to create the appearance of high end production. #DigitalOlympusChat

A2: You need to make those 📽 videos. I think that’s the biggest challenge. It doesn’t matter whether you need to do a professional one or simply make one with iPhone. Also, you need to keep making them on a regular basis. #Digitalolympuschat

Among the most Important things mentioned by our #DigitalOlympusChat participants were the following ideas:

It can take some time to storyboard and film, but video content doesn’t have to be long in duration to be effective. Run several tests to see what the optimal length for your videos is, which kind performs better, and what works best for your brand. In Facebook Report dashboard, we pay attention to impressions: 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% views help us determine when the significant drop off takes place so that we can optimize the length of our videos as soon as possible.

Add captions to your social media videos to improve the time your users send watching your video content. According to Natasha Woodford, auto captions make a difference on Facebook videos.

Post videos regularly.

Don’t be shy to use your tablet or phone. Even celebrities use them!

Towards the end of last year, even Taylor Swift was running ads to promote her album using her phone in Facebook video ads. #DigitalOlympusChat

Q3: What mistakes do you see companies making with Facebook and/or Instagram video ads?

Akvile pointed out that the main problem for companies is that marketing and advertising teams make a final decision regarding content. They have different goals, metrics, etc. When you decide to craft a video, it’s best if you start by comparing all of your ideas, metrics, pros & cons of different approaches. Captions can be a struggle, too. But Facebook’s built in caption feature is a time saver and works very well. The only caveat is that you may have to do some manual revisions(which is simple) if there are any accents detected as it can sometimes select the incorrect matching word.

A3: Not story-boarding with their marketing and advertising team. It’s important to collaborate from the start and discuss how to create videos that will help accomplish campaign goals and be applicable to and optimized for each channel. #DigitalOlympusChat

Couldn’t agree more! According to a recent study by AdEspresso, 85% of users watch videos on mute. In addition, we shouldn’t disregard anyone who may be hearing impaired. Make your video easy to understand, visually and audibly. #DigitalOlympusChathttps://t.co/68OwhlvXfo

A3 Whilst I approve of being a disruptor, you need to get the fundamentals right first … trying to be funny or edgey in the wrong circumstances just doesn’t work. Make it appropriate for your audience is the biggest perls of wisdom I can share #digitalolympuschat

It all starts with education. Even if we aren’t ready to work on video content with a client yet, we inform them of the option and how we can work together to create a visual story to accomplish goals. #DigitalOlympusChat

Q4: In effort of reaching your goals(views, engagements, traffic, conversions, etc.), what have you found works best when using video ads as it relates to your goals?

It always depends on your niche. Try to explain the benefits of using your product, tell more about its unique features, and how your product or service can make a user’s life easier.

A4: When it comes to driving conversions, video works very well in remarketing campaigns when showcasing a product or service’s additional features or benefits that may not have been previously shown in awareness campaigns.(1/3) #DigitalOlympusChat

A4: For example, if your goal is to sell a service, show it in practice, so viewers can then better imagine themselves in place of the customer in the video, thus, also managing their expectations.(2/3) #DigitalOlympusChat

A4: An excellent example I recently saw of this is a meal delivery service. A women is in her kitchen, unboxing the package, showing how fresh the produce looks, and how easy the recipe card is to follow, saving her time.(3/3) #DigitalOlympusChat

Q5: In what way would you like to test Facebook and/or Instagram video ads, that you have not had the opportunity to do so yet?

A5: I haven’t launched an Instagram Stories ad yet but I’ve sent over strategy and creative requests to a client, which we should be receiving very soon. Greatly looking forward to testing it out! Have you created any Stories ads? #DigitalOlympusChat

A5: I want to try to give away something valuable and see how this affects the general 📈 engagement rate, etc. 🤓 I want to ask users to leave comments, so I can see whether it will help the post go viral. #DigitalOlympusChat

Our conversation went beyond the questions. We came to the most annoying question about organic reach on Facebook. Sadly, Facebook’s organic reach has seen a steady decline for the past couple of years with only about 1−2% of followers being exposed to your posts. Basically, you’ll have to fork over some money as a brand on FB/IG to get visibility.

With Facebook, organic reach has been dwindling for years and only about 1−2% of fans, if even that much anymore, see your organic posts. Ultimately, you’ll have to «pay to play» as a brand on FB/IG to get visibility. #DigitalOlympusChat

Good strategy is when you give away something valuable, however, be cautious about directly asking for comments as FB isn’t too keen with brands practicing link and comment baiting tactics.

Conclusion

You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. But you can always make sure you are fully ready to face the challenges of today. Here is a brief checklist to help you kick off your new Facebook Ad campaign:

Alexandra Tachalova has worked in digital marketing for over six years. She is a digital marketing consultant, helping digital businesses to open new markets and boost sales. Alexandra is a frequent speaker, and Founder of online digital marketing event DigitalOlympus.net.

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